New ADHD treatment could involve video games

A video game could hold the key to treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

Results of a new clinical study were released this week that showed hope for patients who played a game called AKL-T01, which is tailored to their diagnosis to help children and adolescents with ADHD to control their attention, Reuters reported.

More than 300 participants used either AKL-T01 or another video game to target “specific cognitive neural systems.”

According to the study, AKL-T01 uses “immersive action video game experience” that rewards users if they follow the instructions and remain focused on the game.

Both groups, the one using AKL-T01 and the one using a standard game, were tested using a tablet computer over a period of four weeks. Parents also reported how their children behaved after playing the games.

The company that developed the game, Akili Interactive, is now looking at taking the game through the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory process on its way to hitting the market, according to a company press release.